Automobile.



PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906.

J. SPYKER. AUTOMOBILE.

APPLICATION FILED 001216, 1905.

UNITED` vSTATES PATENT GFFICE.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

X. 'Patented June 5, 1906.

l Application filed .October 16,1905. Serial No. 283,026.

To all whom it 1mi/.y concern:.

Be it'known' that I, JAooBUs SPYKER, a

. subject` of the Queen of the Netherlands, re-

` tion is of cradle formation.

siding at Trompenburg, near Amsterdam, Netherlands, have invented new and useful Improved Construction of Chassis for Automobiles and theLike, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved,con

struction of chassis for automobiles and thel like.

The chassis made according to this invenof-two hollow plate-steel longitudinal frames adapted to receive' a thin semicircular steel cradle, which forms the connecting means between the two frames and reinforces them.,

The cradle and the frames form a structure which, while being extremely'sti", can, however, be bent in a certain measure and adapts itself to the ine ualities of the road, and on becoming straight again thus absorbs afla'rge amount of the shocksI and maintains? the chassis in an exact form.. I The cradle, formedpf thin steel, is smooth at the front, .as well as the back, which presents the advantage of raising less dust. on the road than the known chassis-screens of unequal forms and with projecting arts. The cradle at'the same time incloses a l the mechanisms of theautomobile ,apd rotects them from the dust similar to known orms of dust-protectors. A

The present arrangement of chassis er'- mits of the provision of detachable cross-,Ears or tiebeams, forming adjustable supports for the motor, the change-speed gear, the driving-clutch, and the other motion-transmitting mechanism and the correction ofthe deformation of the chassis due to collision orv other accident to the vehicle. They permit in detail the attachment between the beam4 of the exact regulation and, if necessary, thev readjustment of the position of the motor," &c., so as'to insure a perfect transmission'- Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken at the po-j sition of arrangement of anadjustable crossbar. Fig. 3 is a -transverse section, on a larger scale, of a part of the chassis, showing and the sheet-steel cradle.

The beams al 4are hollow or'scooped out, so

It is composed.

as to present along their length an upright flange from the upper part b, onto which is hooked the sheet-steel cradle c, with the sides d bent accordingly, Fig. 3. The two bent portionsv are iixed to the flange b by means of olts e, Fig. 3 placed at intervals of twentyiive centimeters. 'In order to complete the connection between the cradle and the beams, the lower parts or' the latter are traversed by a second range of screw-bolts f, Fig. 3. The chassis thus constructed can be closed at the two extremities by plates iixedin any apv pro riate manner.

T e arrangementv is extremely firm, the, sheet-steel cradle'fcrming, nevertheless, a exible tie-beam,

lable supports forl the motor and transmittin mechanism, each being composed of a stee tube fh, Fig. 2, terminating at its ends withscr'ewsl, engaging in sockets i, carried by claws g, hung on the beams, Fig. 2, and' ,attachedthereto'in any convenient manner. Two, sockets j, havin lock-nuts 7c supported against the external s oulders of the tubes h, are also screwed to the interior of the sockets f i and serveto regulate the position of the tubes hwith reference to the longitudinal cen- 1 tral axle of the chassis and serve to place the motor. and other mechanical elements supported bythe cross-bars in the exact -reciprocal position, permitting a perfect transmission.

. When, for example, following a collision of thekv chassis or other accident the beams beam's of known chassis) ve way or are ,bent

ermitting the chassis to lada t itself to the ine ualities 4of the road. f T e cross-bars form etachable and adjustand the transmitting mec anism is deranged the reciprocal positions of the said elements can be either provisionally readjusted en route to enable the journey to be continued, or they may be refixed in a definite position. It 'is 'sufficient to loosen the lock-nuts .k ofthe cross-bars h, screw`them the desiredamount roc either to the right or left, adjust the sockets j, and tighten up the lock-nuts.

.The special combination .of the attaching-- claw g of thev adjustable socket 'i with the,

form of the beam (claw-hooked on the side of the beam) presents the advantage of always maintaining thecross-bar in' the same horizontal 4position when the attachinglbolt is disengaged, While it suffices tocvercome the p difficulties in the ordinary system of support, I 1o owing to the lengthening of the bolts, by which the motor drops' at the side where the lengthening is produced.

The arrangement of the adjustableand detachable crossbars facilitates the mounting of the` motor, as well as the adjustment and repair-work on the mechanism situated under the motor.

For the mounting the cross-bars are pushed .into the arms of the motor. The latter is placed with the supports on the chassis, Where its position can be adjusted at will, while in the old-fashioned chassis itis necessary to put holesvin the chassis and carry the frame of the motor, or a frame has to be cast with very'long and troublesome arms,

and holes are put in thebeams, worlrwhichis very diflicult and costly and rarely exact, which has, further, the inconvenience of weakening the chassis atthe point of application of the motor. In the present system the at taching-claws, on the contrary, strengthen the iianges of the beams at the point of iixture of the motor.

For the adjustment of and the work under the motor it is sufficient to raise two crossbars and leave the third, on which the motor can be allowed to pivot.

The drawings annexed represent, by waysuch a way that `the latter are' sheet, with hollow sheet beams provided with cradle-securing iianges arranged longitudinally along the said cradle and removably connected to the same.

2. In an automobile in combination a chassis formed as a cradle in a semicircular sheet with the longitudinal beams supporting the cradle by means of the bent-over sides of the latter, the said cradle being removably secured to said beams.

3. In an automobile y in combination a chassis formed by hollow longitudinal sheetbeams with longitudinal flanges, a semicircular sheetecradle fixed thereony having sides bent over so as to be attached to the saidhollow sheet-beams. y

4.. In an automobile in combinati-on a chassis of a seinicircular form underneathlthe motor, and cross tubesbars with means for adjustment of their length and position servingv as supports for the motorl and the motortransmittingl mechanism.

v5. Infan automobile, in combina-tion a chassiszolf 'a' sem-icircular form with cross-bars adjustable as to length and position connected thereto/claws upon their extremities in the forinfof hooks engaging with the iianges of the iriainbeams. l

6. Inii'an automobile in combination a chassis of fa semicircular 'form with tube cross-bars adjustable as to length and position, threads `upon-,the said tube cr'oss-bars,

sockets fitting thereon and lock-nuts carried by lthe said so'cklets'so that the said tubes are adj ustablcy to` thesaid chassis.

, In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication in the presence of two v,subscribing witnesses.

JAooBUs SPYKER. Witnesses 1,., 

